Donation and Concealed Money: WKStA Indicts Benko

In the Signa complex, the first indictment by the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) is now available: Company founder René Benko is to stand trial in Innsbruck for fraudulent bankruptcy. He is accused of concealing assets during the bankruptcy and thereby harming creditors, the WKStA wrote on Tuesday. Benko faces a prison sentence of one to ten years. The indictment is not legally binding, and the accused can appeal against it.

Charges against René Benko for fraudulent bankruptcy

The lawsuit concerns a total damage of 660,000 euros. The specific assets in question are "a rent and operating cost advance payment of around 360,000 euros for the rental of a house, which was economically and factually unjustifiable," writes the WKStA.

The house in question is apparently Benko's villa on the Innsbruck Hungerburg - the second larger residence of the fallen Signa founder besides the one in the Igls district. According to investigators, Benko is said to have transferred exactly those 360,000 euros to RB Immobilienverwaltungs GmbH & Co KG, which is registered as the owner of the villa, just a few weeks before the wave of bankruptcies in the Signa group in October, as reported in the media. At that time, the villa was said to be uninhabitable due to water damage following a landslide.

Furthermore, it concerns a gift to relatives of 300,000 euros. According to media reports, this is said to be a gift to Benko's mother from November 2023 - around the time of the Signa Holding bankruptcy.

Trial will take place in Innsbruck, date still open

The indictment was filed in Innsbruck. Therefore, the trial will definitely take place in Benko's hometown, said a spokeswoman for the regional court to APA. A trial date has not yet been set, as the indictment is not yet legally binding. Benko's lawyer Norbert Wess did not comment on the new development when asked by APA.

The indictment is only one aspect of the very extensive Signa case, in which the WKStA is currently investigating twelve different strands of facts. In addition to fraudulent bankruptcy, the allegations include breach of trust, serious fraud, creditor favoritism, and subsidy fraud. It has more than a dozen accused individuals and two associations in its sights. The total damage under investigation currently amounts to around 300 million euros, according to the WKStA.

(APA/Red)

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